Gymnasts Mohammed Rafey, Prathista Samanta claim first gold in Khelo India Youth Games

Uttar Pradesh were dominant in the men’s category with gymnasts Rafey and Raj Yadav grabbing gold and silver with scores of 68.25 and 67.50 respectively. Delhi’s Tushar Kalyan clinched the bronze medal with an all-round score of 66.90. Tushar had won the bronze medal at the Khelo India School Games last year.

Uttar Pradesh’s Mohammed Rafey and West Bengal’s Prathista Samanta became the first gold medal winners of the Khelo India Youth Games 2019, emerging victorious in the men’s and women’s under-17 all-round artistic gymnastics events respectively in Pune on Tuesday.

Gymnasts Mohammed Rafey, Prathista claim first gold in Khelo India Youth Games. (Twitter)

Uttar Pradesh were dominant in the men’s category with gymnasts Rafey and Raj Yadav grabbing gold and silver with scores of 68.25 and 67.50 respectively. Delhi’s Tushar Kalyan clinched the bronze medal with an all-round score of 66.90. Tushar had won the bronze medal at the Khelo India School Games last year.

Pratishta staved off a challenge from Maharashtra’s twin sisters Siddhi and Riddhi Hattekar to emerge on top in the women’s under-17 competition. It was her vault that helped to keep her nose ahead of the Aurangabad twins. She scored 13.00 on the vault to compensate for the uneven bars score of 7.10.

Women’s under-17 all-around: 1. Pratishta Samanta (West Bengal) 42.05 (vault 13.00, uneven bars 7.10, beam 11.30, floor 10.65); 2. Siddhi Hatekar (Maharashtra) 40.85, 3. Riddhi Hattekar (Maharashtra) 40.45.